Rotary machine



H. E. CURTIS ROTARY MACHINE Aug, 9, 1938;

8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 17, 1935 Flt; uRE' I/v vim/Ton d 424% w M m M W Aug. 9, 1938. H. E. CURTIS 2,126,093

ROTARY MACHINE Filed July 17, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 A T ORA/Ey Aug. 9, 1938. 1- 5, cu-Rms 2,126,093

ROTARY MACHINE Filed July 17, 1935 s Sheets-Sheet a g- 9 1938. H. E. CURTIS 2,126,093

ROTARY MACHINE Filed July 17, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. 9, 1938. H. E. CURTIS ROTARY MACHINE Filed July 1'7, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet s Fig; uRE

.Z'A/VE/VTOR 1 (5 4 A 7- TaIQA/E Y Aug. 9, 1938. H. E. CURTIS ROTARY MACHINE Filed July 17, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 ATTQR/KE Y Aug. 9, 1938. H.-E. CURTIS 2,126,093

ROTARY MACHINE V Filed July 17, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 'T Flt; uRr? 10 rjqflRE' .11

IN ZEN TOR ATTORNEY Aug. 9, 1938. H. E. CURTIS V 2,126,093

ROTARY MACHINE Filed July 17, 1955 s Sheets-She t 8 F19 lzRE' J 5 11v VEWTOR A TTQR/VEZ Patented Aug. 9, 1938 ATENT OFFICE ROTARY MACHINE Henry E. Curtis, San Jose, Calif.; E. N. Curtis administrator of the estate of said Henry E.

Curtis, deceased Application July 17,

Claims.

The present invention relates particularly to rotary machines oftheinternal combustion type, and has for one of its objects the provision of a rotary machine embodying various advantageous features of construction and mode of operation whereby to obtain maximum power output with minimum fuel consumption, and to attain ease and smoothness of running.

It is another object of the invention to provide a machine of the character indicated that may be readily adapted to function as a steam operated engine, a pump, or a compressor.

It is still another object to provide a rotary machine of the character indicated in which all of the parts may be quickly, accurately and easily adjusted in their proper relative positions.

Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide a rotary machine of the character indicated that will be economical to manufacture, simple in form and construction, that consists of few parts, that is simply and efficiently cooled and lubricated, strong, substantial, durable, and highly ellicient in its practical application, that is perfectly balanced, is Without valves or gears, and that presents a substantially perfect antifriction job throughout. 7

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying my invention, with parts broken away.

Figure'Z is a sectional view on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3' is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2, with parts broken away.

Figure 4 is a sectional View on line 4-4 of Figure 2, with parts broken away.

Figure 5 is an inside elevation of the cam plate with a diagrammatic illustration of the cycle of operation of the machine.

Figure 6 is an inside elevation of a portion of the inner stator member showing the exhaust port.

Figure '7 is an inside elevation of another portion of the inner stator member showing the inlet port.

4-5 Figure 8 is a side elevation of the cylinder block. V

Figure 9 is an edge elevation of the cylinder block shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a sectional view through a portion 50. of the main housing and the fly-Wheel housing,

and taken on line Ill-4|] of Figure 4.

Figure 11 is an elevation of the inner stator member, partly insection and with a part broken away.

Figure 12 is a front elevation of a machine 1935, Serial No. 31,858

embodying another form of the invention, with parts broken away.

Figure 13 is a front elevation of a machine embodying still another form of the invention, with parts broken away.

Referring now more, particularly to the draw ings, l indicates the main portion of the housing formed of a single annular member substantially defining the width of the machine and having an annular seat and shoulder 2 formed therein in' concentric relation thereto. The front of this housing portion is entirely open so that certain parts may be slidably inserted therein as hereinafter described, and the seat 2 is symmetrically arranged relative to the central plane of rotation of the rotor in the machine whereby to accurately place the said parts.

The back plate 3 of housing portion I has an annular channel or conduit 4 formed concentrically therein adjacent its periphery, and this channel communicates with the interior of the housing by means of an annular slot 5.

The central portion of back plate 3 forms a hub 6 in which are mounted bearings l, and around the said hub are formed openings as 8 whereby air may be introduced directly into the central portion of the machine. To conduct the air to these openings I form a passage 9 communicating with the atmosphere at it and encircling the hub to communicate with said open- The air introduced into the interior of thema' chine through openings 8 is discharged therefrom through a passage it formed in the back plate 3. This passage M is in the form of a section of a spiral, being arcuate in form and concentrically disposed relative to the axis of the machine and inclined outwardly to discharge at 15. This outward inclination is in the direction of rotation of the rotor in the machine whereby a positive and abundant flow of air through the machine is achieved.

In the outer peripheral wall of the housing portion I is formed an opening l6 for the reception of a water supply pipe, other openings being provided as at I! and It to receive water discharge pipes as l9 and 20. Other openings are provided at 2| for the introduction of an explosive mixture into the machine, at 22 for the mounting of spark plugs, and at 23 for the discharge of burnt gases from the machine.

The entire machine is provided with a circulatory lubricating system, and a part of this system is formed in this back plate 3 to carry the lubricant from the bearings I to the conduit 4. This portion of the system is indicated at 24 where two drainage ducts lead from the bearings I to a single duct 25 discharging into the said conduit 4. secure the desired circulation these ducts are disposed to discharge downwardly toward the bottom of the machine and are therefore drained by the force of gravity.

Mounted upon the outer face of plate 3 as at 26 is a fly-wheel housing 27, this housing having an opening at 28 communicating with the passage 9, an opening in its side wall as at 29 to permit the discharge of air therefrom, and a large central opening 39 in its face through which mechanical connections to the rotor are made.

The front plate 3| is provided with an annular seat 32 adapted to engage the free edge of housing portion I and is bolted thereto as at 33. This plate is also provided with a conduit 34 identical with conduit 4 and paralleling the same. Conduit 34 communicates with the interior of the machine through the medium of an annular slot 35 in parallel and opposed relation to slot 5.-

The central portion of plate 3! has an opening 36 formed therein in concentric relation to the axis of the machine, but this opening is closed by a cam plate 31 fixed in position by bolts 38.

An inner stator member is shown at 39, this member having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the housing portion I so that it will fit snugly therein, the width of its outer portion being such that when in place it will be clamped tightly between the plates 3 and 3|. Member 39 has laterally extending flanges 49 projecting through slots 5 and 35 into conduits 4 and 34, and an inner surface 4! inclined inwardly from both side edges toward the axis of the machine and meeting in the median plane of the chamber 42 formed by the plates 3, 3|, 31 and member 39.

The member 39 is split crosswise as at43 and is hollow, having a chamber 44 extending throughout its entire length from one end to the other. A passage 45 is formed in its outer wall to register with the water intake I5, and other passages are formed in its outer wall as at 46 and 41 to register with the water discharge openings I7 and IS, the pipes I9 and 26 being inserted as shown after such registration is effected.

Cylindrical passages 48 are also formed in the member to register with the spark plug openings 22 in housing portion I, these passages passing clear through the member and being closed off from the chamber 44.

At 49 is a circumferentially disposed slot formed in the inner wall of member 39 and in the median plane thereof and communicating with 'a passage 50 closed off from chamber 44 by a wall SL The passage 50 communicates with the periphery of member 39 through an opening 52 disposed to register with opening 2I in housing portion I, the slot 49 thereby forming an intake port through which a combustible mixture may be introduced from a carbureter shown in part at 53. The slot 49 extends away from opening 2I in the direction of rotation of the rotor.

At 54 is shown another slot similarly disposed in the inner wall of member 39 and communicating with a passage 55 closed off from chamber 44 by wall 56 and communicating with the pe- While mechanical means is used to.

riphery of member 39 through an opening 51 disposed to register with discharge 23 in housing portion I, the slot 54 thereby forming an exhaust port for burnt gases. The slot 54 extends away from opening 57 in the direction of rotation of the rotor.

For reasons which will presently be made plain the intake port 49 extends through an arc of sixty degrees and the exhaust port through an arc of fifty degrees, the centers of the two ports being spaced apart a distance of eighty-five degrees, and the center of the ignition openings 48 is spaced from the center of the exhaust port 54 a distance of one hundred and forty degrees.

On the inner face of the cam plate 3! is formed a cam track 58 and cam 59, the major axis of cam 59 lying at an angle of five degrees from the center of ignition 48, and one hundred and thirtyfive degrees from the center of exhaust 54. The major axis of the cam 59 is four times the length of its minor axis, and the contours of the working edges of the track are arcuate in form and are plotted as indicated by the several radii 60.

A duct 5| is formed in plates 3| and 31 and leads from the cam track 58 to conduit 34 and functions as an oil drain.

The principal feature of the rotor is the cylinder block 62 which is provided with a flattened V shaped peripheral surface 63 paralleling the inclined inner surface II of stator member 39 in close relationship therewith and which is mounted to rotate freely in said member.

Since the machine is provided with four identically formed and positioned cylinders and their cooperating parts but one such structure will be described in detail, the others being referred to by similar numerals followed by appropriate letters. The central hub portion 64 of the rotor or cylinder block 52 is, of course, common to all of the cylinders.

At 35 is an arm that is tangentially disposed relative to hub 64 and formed integrally therewith. This arm lies in the plane of rotation of the rotor and extends outwardly to and supports the annular portion 66 of the cylinder block and is an integrant part thereof.

A cylinder 6! is formed in the block 62, this cylinder being angularly disposed relative to radial lines from the axis of rotation of the rotor, its outer end having open communication with the periphery of the rotor and the inner end having open communication with the chamber 42.

At 68 is shown a piston mounted to reciprocate in cylinder 67, the face of its closed end 69 being so formed that it is substantially parallel with the face of the stator with which it cooperates at the close of its compression and exhaust strokes.

One end of a connecting rod II is mounted on the most advanced side of piston 68 as at III, the other end of the connecting rod being pivotally connected as at I2 to a lever 73. One end of the lever I3 is pivotally connected as at I4 to the cylinder block 52, its other end being laterally inclined relative to the plane of rotation of the rotor and fitted with a roller I5 operating in the cam track 58.

The pivotal mounting or hearing I4 for the lever I3 is disposed adjacent the periphery of the cylinder block, and the lever is provided with a weighted elbow at this end as indicated at I6, this weighting of the lever serving to balance the roller end I5 when the engine is in operation and thereby reduce the frictional contact of roller and cam surface to a minimum.

In the bearings 'l is mounted a shaft ll having a fly-wheel 18 mounted thereon as at 79 and disposed inthe housing 2?. The shaft H is provided, with a flange 80 upon which the cylinder block 62 is bolted as at 8|, and it is also provided witha cylindrical part 82 fitting closely in an opening 82 formed in the center of hub 64 and provided with an annular groove 83 communicating with the wall of said opening. This shaft has a part of reduced diameter as at 84 projected through the center of cam plate 37, and has a conduit 85 extending through said part 84 from its free end to a point adjacent flange 8i] and ducts 85 and 8'! connecting the said conduit with the groove 83 and bearings 1 respectively.

A duct 88 is formed lengthwise through arm 65, one end communicating with groove 83 and the-other end communicating with a short lateral duct fit formed in a boss 9! on the inside of cylinder block 52 adjacent to and immediately back of cylinder 67. The duct 89 is connected with the periphery of the rotor by means of two still smaller ducts as 9i which discharge upon the peripheral surface of the rotor immediately backof, the cylinder 6"! and spaced one on each side of itsmedian plane of rotation, this spacing being such that the ducts pass on either side of the ports 2| and 23 in the stator member 39. The duct 88 is also connected with the inner surface of cylinder 67 by means of a branch 92.

The duct 39 is connected with the bearing 14' of lever 13 through the medium of tubular members. 93, a duct El i leading from bearing M through the head portion of lever 13 to the bearing or pivotal connection 72. From the bearing 72 one duct Ellipasses through the trailing end of the lever 13 to the bearing of roller T5,.and another duct 96 passes through the connecting rod 1 to its connection to the piston at W.

To complete the lubricating system a gear housing iil" is mounted on the cam plate 3'! over the free end of the shaft it, and a gear connection 98 is mounted therein between the said shaft and an oil pump 98. The pump til'draws the used oil out of the conduits 4 and 3A through a pipe Hit and discharges it into a receptacle NH. The shaft fl is also geared as at 502 to a pump I03" which draws oil from the receptacle lfil and feeds it under pressure through a pipe I04 and into the conduit 85 in shaft ll. Drainage through the gear case 97 back tothe pumps is effected by means of ducts Hi5.

The engine is, of course, equipped with a suitable carbureter, a portion of which is indicated in dotted lines at it, and a suitable distributor, a portion of which is also shown in dotted lines An" important feature of this invention is the extreme simplicity of its construction and the ease with which it may be disassembled for repairs or replacements. When the plate 3| is removed the entire cylinder block assembly with the stator member 37 may be lifted out as a unit thereby giving quick and easy access to every part.

Another important feature of the invention is the assembling of the cylinder block and the stator member 39, By cutting the stator member 39 crosswise as at it it may be expanded sufficiently to permit passing it over either side edge of the rotor member 62. While the stator member 39 may not be sufliciently resilient in itself to seat properly after being so placed it is easily forced into position when the said member is seated in the seat and shoulder 2 in member I.

Since the cylinder block 62 is as wide as the stator member with its flanges 40 it follows that the side edges of the said block also project through the channels sland into conduits 4 and 34. This is an important feature of the lubricating system, because the oil passing out through the ducts 9i and between the opposing faces of the two parts 39 and 62 is carried outwardly in both directions from the center by the centrifugal force developed by the rotor, and discharged into the conduits 4 and 34.

The oil distributed between the faces of the stator and rotor in this manner not only provides very efiicient lubrication but also assists materially in preventing leakage when a combustible mixture is exploded, cooperating with the quick compression and explosion hereinafter described to effect this result.

The two channels or conduits 4 and 34 are so placed that they collect the used oil discharged from every part of the engine and drain it to a point where it is easily removed by the scavenger pump.

By means of the structure set forth the'engine is both air and water cooled.

The flow of air through the chamber 3| is effected by the rotation of the cylinder block 82. The rapid rotation of this block sets up a corresponding circular motion of the air in the chamber 3i, forcing it outwardly through the passage it into the housing 27 and thence to the atmosphere. This forced discharge of air from the chamber 3i naturally causes a corresponding inflowof air through the openings l0, 9 and 8 and a positive and highly eificient air cooling of the rotor is eifected. The transfer of heat from the several cylinders to the air is facilitated by forming heat diffusion vanes as I08 thereon.

The water cooling of the stator portion of the engine is also highly eflicient and positive since the water chamber 3 3 extends entirely around the same, the water entering the chamber flowing first along both sides of the exhaust passage 55.

The fact should here be brought out that the entire rotor assembly is supported by and centered by the bearings l so that the periphery of the cylinder block 62 is at all times perfectly concentric with the axis of the shaft ll. a slight clearance between the opposing V shaped faces of the stator and rotor thereby being mechanically maintained.

Assuming the machine to have been assembled as hereinbefore described, its mode of operation is as follows, it being understood that the form, proportions and arrangement of the several parts is such that when the piston 68*travels through the short stroke M9 the rotor travels through an angle of ninety degrees, the explosion against one piston taking place immediately before the preceding cylinder is opened to the exhaust port whereby a smooth and constant pressure is applied to the rotor to drive the same.

Referring now to the diagram in Figure 5, it is shown that when the piston 68 is centered upon the ignition 48, the moment when the explosion,

occurs, the roller 75 is passing over one peak of the cam track 58 with the connecting rod H forming an acute angle with the lever 13 whereby substantially all of the force developed by the explosion is applied angularly to the rotor, the roller merely trailing in the track 58 and consequently being movably fulcrumed therein.

In this diagram the piston 68 and its several cooperating parts is shown in four successive positions, the first position above described being indicated by the reference character A and the other three positions being indicated by the characters B, C, and B respectively.

During the expansion of the exploded mixture it reacts against the wall of the stator to move the piston '68 through the power stroke I09 while the roller I5 moves down from the peak of the cam 58 to its minor axis. a The burnt gases are quickly expelled from the cylinder through exhaust port 54 as the roller 15 passes over the other peak of the cam track and the piston and cooperating parts pass to position C.

In moving from position C to position D the piston 68 is again retracted and a fresh combustible charge is drawn in through inlet port 49. During this operation as during the power stroke of the piston the roller 15 moves from a peak of the cam track down to its minor axis and the movement of the piston is quite uniform.

When the piston and its cooperating parts moves from position D back to its original position A its initial compression movement is slow, but as the roller reaches and passes into the peak of the cam track the movement of the piston is suddenly accelerated, the final compression taking place during such a short period of time that the possibility of leakage hereinbefore referred to is reduced to a minimum.

It is clear from the foregoing that the cam track 58 controls the operation of the piston I53 because the pivotal point 14 of the lever I3 travels in a fixed annular path of travel concentric to the axis of the rotor, while the fulcrumed end I5 of the lever moves toward and away from said center, the amplitude of this latter movement necessarily determining the length of the piston stroke while the conformation of the track determines both the nature and periodicity of the movement.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figure 12 the machine is modified to be adapted for use as a steam engine.

In this case a steam inlet is provided at III] in place of the spark plugs referred to, and the steam inlet with its exhaust III is duplicated upon the opposite side of the machine as indicated at Him and IHa.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figure 13, the machine is modified to be adapted for use as a pump or compressor.

In this case a fluid inlet is provided at H2, in place of the spark plugs hereinbefore described, and the exhaust or outlet H3 is provided with a check valve H4. In this case also the arrangement of the parts I I2, I I3, I I4 is duplicated upon the opposite side of the machine as indicated at H2a, H311, and HM.

While I have illustrated my invention in the form of a gas or explosive engine, it will of course be understood that the invention is equally applicable to a steam or other engine, as well as to motors, pumps, compressors, and the like. It will also be understood, of course, that while I have herein shown and described certain specific embodiments of the invention, changes in form, construction, and method of assembly and operation may be made Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a rotary machine, an annular stator member having a symmetrical inner peripheral surface inclined outwardly with respect to its median plane and its axis and having spaced circumferentially disposed slots formed therein along said median plane to form inlet and discharge ports, said member having passages formed therein connecting said slots with its outer periphery, and a rotor cooperating with said member.

2. In a rotary machine, a rotor having a channel formed in and encompassing its periphery, and a transversely split annular stator member seated in said channel to cooperate with said rotor.

3. In a rotary machine, a housing having an annular stator member disposed therein provided with an inner surface flaring outwardly from its median plane and away from its axis, a rotor disposed in the stator and having a peripheral surface paralleling said stator surface, the housing having annular conduits disposed in opposed and parallel relation to each other and operative to communicate with the opposite sides of the flaring portions of the stator and rotor.

4. In a rotary machine, a pair of relatively rotatable members operable as rotor and stator, one member including an annular member having an inner surface flaring outwardly from its median plane and away from its axis and having passages connecting said inner surface with its periphery to form intake and discharge ports, and the other member having a peripheral surface paralleling said fiaring surface and provided with cylinders adapted to communicate alternately with said ports, pistons operatively disposed in said cylinders, and instrumentalities drivingly associated with the pistons and first member.

5. In a rotary machine, a cooperating rotor and stator having a common median plane and axis and in which the opposing peripheral surfaces are inclined outwardly with respect to both the median plane and axis.

HENRY E. CURTIS. 

